Title: Brave New World Author: Aldous Huxley Date of Publication: 1932 Literary Period: Modernist Genre: Dystopian fiction Describe the setting and then explain the relevance of the setting.
Brave New World takes place 632 year A.F. (After Ford). The world was destroyed by the conflict of the Nine Years' War and a unified civilization was built upon the ashes of the aftermath. This civilization, called the World State, is a society in which its members are controlled and intellectually oppressed by by drugs that thrust them into a euphoric state of complacency. Themes (These statements should be complete sentences and completely developed ideas)
The question "What will we sacrifice for macroeconomic efficiency?" remained at the forefront of my mind as I read through Brave New World. The answers that Huxley provides through the social constructs of the World State and the behaviors of its inhabitants, in contrast to those of the Reservation, undoubtedly shocked the intended audience of the 1930s far more than our class in 2014. However, even I, seeing myself as somewhat Machiavellian in nature, am appalled by the lengths the society takes to achieve satisfaction. Sexual morality? Tossed out the window in favor of a more profitable economic system. Delayed gratification? That is for fools. Why wait for an amazing experience when you can have it right now by popping a pill? The World State is run by what some may call a "tyranny of the majority" in its most horrible and extreme form. Some may think of this as an ideal power structure because it appeases the general populace, but it comes at the price of rights of the minority, to the extent that members of said majority cannot even choose to be individuals. Everyone must fall into their place and keep the machine that is the World State's economy running like a Carnot engine; that is, with 100% efficiency. Again I ask, "What is the opportunity cost of macroeconomic efficiency? What will society sacrifice to satisfy its hedonistic desires?" In short, Huxley believes just about anything can and will be readily exchanged in due time. Plot Summary (Please do not copy and paste. Simply list the high points of the novel) - Consider creating a visual flow chart or graph and posting it here.
Director of Hatcheries giving a tour of the conditioning and cloning facilities.
The World Controller of Western Europe, His Fords hip Mustapha Mond explains the instability of the previous society and the improvements of the new society.
He states that the new society was formed because economic crises that ensued after the Nine Years War allowed the world reformers to take control.
Bernard asks Lenina to go with him to visit a Savage reservation in New Mexico.
Bernard learns that the Director has also been to the reservations with a girl.
Bernard and Lenina fly to the reservations.
There they meet a young man named John and his mother Linda, who was the woman that came with the Director.
John becomes infatuated with Lenina, who is different than other girls on the reservation.
Bernard then exposes John, the Director's son, and the Director, humiliated, resigns.
Bernard becomes a celebrity by associating with John the Savage, who is seen as a novelty to members of the World State.
John confesses his love for Lenina to her, but her blatant promiscuity proves to be very provocative; he angrily chases her into the bathroom, calling her "strumpet."
John gets a phone call and learns that his mother will soon die from a soma overdose
John is distraught after seeing Linda pass away and attempts to convince a hundred twins waiting for their ration that soma is slowly poisoning them.
In a fit of passion, John discards soma pills with reckless abandon and incites the mob. Helmholtz, a friend of John's and Bernard's, joins him against the mob. Bernard, stands idly by.
Helmholtz, John, and Bernard are summoned to Mustapha Mond who informs them that they will be sent to the islands.
Helmholtz and Bernard are sent to islands outside of the World State, but Mond refuses to allow John to go because he wants to observe John as the "fish out of the water" that he is in the World State.
John runs away to an abandoned lighthouse at the outskirts of London. He is determined purge himself of the evil in society through self-inflicted corporal punishment.
His self-mutilation with a whip becomes a spectacle.
Lenina comes to see him and, enraged by his memory of her improper advances towards him, he starts to beat her as well.
The crowd of people who came from the World State to observe their lost spectacle descends into a state of discord and starts to chant "Orgy-porgy."
John is caught in the crowd and wakes up the next day, having taken soma and engaged in the sensual dance with the society he attempted to purge himself from.
Overwhelmed with guilt and self-hatred, he kills himself by hanging himself off the lighthouse archway.
Memorable Quotes and their SIGNIFICANCE.
Community, Identity, Stability. And that ... is the secret of happiness and virtue—liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their inescapable social destiny. — Director of Hatcheries
The Director of the Hatcheries explains how the World State can run so smoothly, with no inhibitions or easily perceivable flaws in operation: the people are conditioned to believe that sacrificing individuality for security and a place in something much greater than themselves is more than a fair exchange and works in their favor.
A gramme is better than a damn. — Lenina, quoting a hypnopædic teaching
By quoting a hypnopaedic teaching, Lenina shows predetermined thought and behavior as an unfortunate consequence of acquiring complete stability. Lenina voices the general consensus of the World State that an endless supply of small, instant gratifications that any member of society can experience carry more value than the delayed gratification of solving a problem or achieving a goal that is particular to a lone member or small group in society.
The greater a man's talents, the greater his power to lead astray. It is better that one should suffer than that many should be corrupted. Consider the matter dispassionately, Mr. Foster, and you will see that no offence is so heinous as unorthodoxy of behavior. Murder kills only the individual-and, after all, what is an individual? — Director of Hatcheries
The Director of the Hatcheries casts the strengths of the individual in a negative light, believing that more good will always come out of the collective work that a society can do together. He says that everything about an individual, from the right of said individual to indulge his idiosyncrasy to even basic rights like the right for an individual to live should be easily and readily surrendered for the good of the community.
"Free, free!" the Savage shouted, and with one hand continued to throw the soma into the area while, with the other, he punched the indistinguishable faces of his assailants. "Free!" And suddenly there was Helmholtz at his side–"Good old Helmholtz!"—also punching—"Men at last!"—and in the interval also throwing the poison out by handfuls through the open window. "Yes, men! men!" and there was no more poison left. He picked up the cash-box and showed them its black emptiness. "You're free!" Howling, the Deltas charged with a redoubled fury.
John, much like the Enlightened One in Plato's Allegory of the Cave, seeks to liberate his fellow residents in the World State from what he sees as oppression through overwhelming pleasure. Helmholtz decides to join him because, although he is an Alpha and in high standing in the World State, he also sees soma as restrictive to members of his society. Helmholtz believes that everyone should be encouraged to pursue delayed gratification by striving to be their best in things that they are passionate about, rather than shy away from endeavors that the leaders of the World State define as counterproductive and morally devoid for economical reasons. Describe the significance of the opening scene.
In the beginning of Brave New World, a tour of the World State is given. This tour provides some valuable insight into how the World State is structure and how it operates. The values that the World State upholds are succinctly stated in the mantra, “Community, Identity, Stability.” Everybody is full of glee and satisfaction within their social classes, which, as we know from the implementation of societal caste systems in countries such as India, is wildly unrealistic, offputting, and foreshadows the discovery of some major societal flaw later in the novel that actually proves the World State to be a dystopia. Describe the significance of the closing scene.
The death of John represents the elimination of traditional morality through a predetermined society. John's escape to a lighthouse outside of the World State is significant because lighthouses are constructed to warn sailors of danger at sea . Likewise, John does his best to warn the World State of the perils it faces in its pursuit of complete stability. John realizes that the society will never be receptive to his message and will always perceive him as just another attraction, another source of amusement and pleasure that the leaders of the World State have so graciously provided for them to consume. As consequence, John opts to commit suicide, rather than continue to endeavor in a Sisyphean task.
Describe the author's style and provide examples from the text.
In the style of most Modernist writers, Huxley strays from typical plot and sentence structure. Huxley does not introduce Bernard and John, two of the most important characters in the novel, until relatively late in the novel. Also in the third chapter, Huxley experiments with multiple perspectives, transitioning without making any distinctions between scenes and showing a scattered mind typical of modernist writers. List importance characters and their significance.
John The viviparous offspring of Linda and the Director of the Hatcheries. His presence in the World State, which he initially calls a "brave new world," represents the clash between the old and current standards for morality. Bernard Marx Was born to be a member of the Alpha social class, but falls short of his physical expectations and, as a result, is constantly trying to demonstrate his social worth. He sees an opportunity to do this by introducing John to the World State, but,in a manner akin to Peter's behavior during the persecution of Jesus Christ, falls to the side and does not stand by John and Helmholtz when they most need support. Helmholtz Watson An Alpha among Alphas who feels as if the extent of his skillset is being suppressed for "the greater good." Unlike Bernard, he is happy to leave the World State and go to an island where he can pursue his passions. Lenina Crowne The quintessential World State citizen, Lenina represents the core values of the World State and its effects on the general population. She also demonstrates what happens to the society when outliers like Bernard and John are thrown into the mix and expected to assimilate. Mustapha Mond A former physicist and one of the ten current World State Controllers, he represents the exchange of individualism and its endeavors for stability and a role in society. Linda A former lover of the Director who was abandoned on the Reservation years before the events of the novel. Just as Lenina can be seen as a current representation of the World State, Linda can be seen as what the World State will become should its members continue to indulge themselves with constant instant gratification through soma.
Author: Aldous Huxley
Date of Publication: 1932
Literary Period: Modernist
Genre: Dystopian fiction
Describe the setting and then explain the relevance of the setting.
Brave New World takes place 632 year A.F. (After Ford). The world was destroyed by the conflict of the Nine Years' War and a unified civilization was built upon the ashes of the aftermath. This civilization, called the World State, is a society in which its members are controlled and intellectually oppressed by by drugs that thrust them into a euphoric state of complacency.
Themes (These statements should be complete sentences and completely developed ideas)
The question "What will we sacrifice for macroeconomic efficiency?" remained at the forefront of my mind as I read through Brave New World. The answers that Huxley provides through the social constructs of the World State and the behaviors of its inhabitants, in contrast to those of the Reservation, undoubtedly shocked the intended audience of the 1930s far more than our class in 2014. However, even I, seeing myself as somewhat Machiavellian in nature, am appalled by the lengths the society takes to achieve satisfaction. Sexual morality? Tossed out the window in favor of a more profitable economic system. Delayed gratification? That is for fools. Why wait for an amazing experience when you can have it right now by popping a pill? The World State is run by what some may call a "tyranny of the majority" in its most horrible and extreme form. Some may think of this as an ideal power structure because it appeases the general populace, but it comes at the price of rights of the minority, to the extent that members of said majority cannot even choose to be individuals. Everyone must fall into their place and keep the machine that is the World State's economy running like a Carnot engine; that is, with 100% efficiency. Again I ask, "What is the opportunity cost of macroeconomic efficiency? What will society sacrifice to satisfy its hedonistic desires?" In short, Huxley believes just about anything can and will be readily exchanged in due time.
Plot Summary (Please do not copy and paste. Simply list the high points of the novel) - Consider creating a visual flow chart or graph and posting it here.
Memorable Quotes and their SIGNIFICANCE.
Community, Identity, Stability. And that ... is the secret of happiness and virtue—liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their inescapable social destiny. — Director of Hatcheries
The Director of the Hatcheries explains how the World State can run so smoothly, with no inhibitions or easily perceivable flaws in operation: the people are conditioned to believe that sacrificing individuality for security and a place in something much greater than themselves is more than a fair exchange and works in their favor.
A gramme is better than a damn. — Lenina, quoting a hypnopædic teaching
By quoting a hypnopaedic teaching, Lenina shows predetermined thought and behavior as an unfortunate consequence of acquiring complete stability. Lenina voices the general consensus of the World State that an endless supply of small, instant gratifications that any member of society can experience carry more value than the delayed gratification of solving a problem or achieving a goal that is particular to a lone member or small group in society.
The greater a man's talents, the greater his power to lead astray. It is better that one should suffer than that many should be corrupted. Consider the matter dispassionately, Mr. Foster, and you will see that no offence is so heinous as unorthodoxy of behavior. Murder kills only the individual-and, after all, what is an individual? — Director of Hatcheries
The Director of the Hatcheries casts the strengths of the individual in a negative light, believing that more good will always come out of the collective work that a society can do together. He says that everything about an individual, from the right of said individual to indulge his idiosyncrasy to even basic rights like the right for an individual to live should be easily and readily surrendered for the good of the community.
"Free, free!" the Savage shouted, and with one hand continued to throw the soma into the area while, with the other, he punched the indistinguishable faces of his assailants. "Free!" And suddenly there was Helmholtz at his side–"Good old Helmholtz!"—also punching—"Men at last!"—and in the interval also throwing the poison out by handfuls through the open window. "Yes, men! men!" and there was no more poison left. He picked up the cash-box and showed them its black emptiness. "You're free!" Howling, the Deltas charged with a redoubled fury.
John, much like the Enlightened One in Plato's Allegory of the Cave, seeks to liberate his fellow residents in the World State from what he sees as oppression through overwhelming pleasure. Helmholtz decides to join him because, although he is an Alpha and in high standing in the World State, he also sees soma as restrictive to members of his society. Helmholtz believes that everyone should be encouraged to pursue delayed gratification by striving to be their best in things that they are passionate about, rather than shy away from endeavors that the leaders of the World State define as counterproductive and morally devoid for economical reasons.
Describe the significance of the opening scene.
In the beginning of Brave New World, a tour of the World State is given. This tour provides some valuable insight into how the World State is structure and how it operates. The values that the World State upholds are succinctly stated in the mantra, “Community, Identity, Stability.” Everybody is full of glee and satisfaction within their social classes, which, as we know from the implementation of societal caste systems in countries such as India, is wildly unrealistic, offputting, and foreshadows the discovery of some major societal flaw later in the novel that actually proves the World State to be a dystopia.
Describe the significance of the closing scene.
The death of John represents the elimination of traditional morality through a predetermined society. John's escape to a lighthouse outside of the World State is significant because lighthouses are constructed to warn sailors of danger at sea . Likewise, John does his best to warn the World State of the perils it faces in its pursuit of complete stability. John realizes that the society will never be receptive to his message and will always perceive him as just another attraction, another source of amusement and pleasure that the leaders of the World State have so graciously provided for them to consume. As consequence, John opts to commit suicide, rather than continue to endeavor in a Sisyphean task.
Describe the author's style and provide examples from the text.
In the style of most Modernist writers, Huxley strays from typical plot and sentence structure. Huxley does not introduce Bernard and John, two of the most important characters in the novel, until relatively late in the novel. Also in the third chapter, Huxley experiments with multiple perspectives, transitioning without making any distinctions between scenes and showing a scattered mind typical of modernist writers.
List importance characters and their significance.
John The viviparous offspring of Linda and the Director of the Hatcheries. His presence in the World State, which he initially calls a "brave new world," represents the clash between the old and current standards for morality.
Bernard Marx Was born to be a member of the Alpha social class, but falls short of his physical expectations and, as a result, is constantly trying to demonstrate his social worth. He sees an opportunity to do this by introducing John to the World State, but,in a manner akin to Peter's behavior during the persecution of Jesus Christ, falls to the side and does not stand by John and Helmholtz when they most need support.
Helmholtz Watson An Alpha among Alphas who feels as if the extent of his skillset is being suppressed for "the greater good." Unlike Bernard, he is happy to leave the World State and go to an island where he can pursue his passions.
Lenina Crowne The quintessential World State citizen, Lenina represents the core values of the World State and its effects on the general population. She also demonstrates what happens to the society when outliers like Bernard and John are thrown into the mix and expected to assimilate.
Mustapha Mond A former physicist and one of the ten current World State Controllers, he represents the exchange of individualism and its endeavors for stability and a role in society.
Linda A former lover of the Director who was abandoned on the Reservation years before the events of the novel. Just as Lenina can be seen as a current representation of the World State, Linda can be seen as what the World State will become should its members continue to indulge themselves with constant instant gratification through soma.